Comfort in Knowing

Most of us wish we knew everything at this time of year! As school starts, we wish we knew the outcomes of daunting life changes; unforeseen problems and expenses; answers to every test we might take….

We’re taught in this world that our lives are, essentially, what we know and how we use that knowledge to succeed in life. People around us ask, “aren’t you concerned/scared that you don’t know what is going to happen?”, “why aren’t you worried that our nation is going downhill?”, “why are you not afraid to die?”.

We are often okay with not knowing because one of the most comforting things in the life of a Christian is to understand what it means that our God is all-knowing.

It’s a relief to the soul to know that the God who made us and ordains all of Creation has a plan for you and for I, and for all that ever was, is, or will be. He alone knows all that has happened, and He alone has the big future picture in mind. We should easily be able to leave it at that, and trust that God–being all-knowing–has everything in control.

But still, we’d love to know everything, wouldn’t we?

To Adam and Eve, the idea of “knowing more” appealed as well. They were undoubtedly the smartest people to ever walk the Earth, and yet they jumped at the idea of being as God is –knowing all, including good and evil. In doing so, they disobeyed their creator and plunged the world into sin and open revolt.

Of course, we know the second act. God always saw the problem and the solution, and He revealed it to Adam and Eve when He threw back the curtain of despair and showed that His Son, Christ, would take center stage in the place of every human …to save our souls.

More in-depth than we could ever comprehend, God had this thing entirely figured out! Not only did He assure Adam and Eve of the promised Messiah, but He continued to reveal details of His plan to save the entire world. He revealed it throughout the time of Abraham, Moses, and Jacob…all the way up to the point where the wise men were led through ancient prophecy to seek the baby Jesus; to the point where we today know what He has revealed in centuries past about what has happened, and what will happen….

….All the way to when different men years later wanted to know who would betray that very Son of God that came to save them–wanted to know which one of them would betray their Lord and closest friend. The disciples in the upper room that Passover night appealed to their omniscient savior. Would they have wanted to know what Jesus did; the bitter anguish that pierced their teacher as He understood exactly what would happen to Him? That Judas would betray Him; that most of His friends would abandon Him–and abandon their hope in His deliverance; that He would be beaten, mocked, and crucified til death?

Though we wish we had the “superpower” of seeing into the future, we would just do things that would improve our lives, and stay away from things that are hazardous to us.

Not Christ. God saw that his own son Jesus would have to suffer and die. Jesus saw it, and yet didn’t run from it! He knew Judas was going to betray Him that night–ultimately to death– yet said to Judas as he left, ‘what you are about to do, do quickly’ (John 13:27). In doing so, Christ let Judas betray Him for the sake of saving, well, Judas himself–and for the world… for us.

Judas was part of God’s plan to present His Son as a sacrifice for our sins–the sins of the whole world. Christ went willingly to the cross to die for you and me, because He KNEW that it was the only way; He could see the finished picture: a sacrifice worthy to save His redeemed people. The only way, promised by Him years ago to Adam and Eve and all who followed after.

We never understand what’s behind the scenes in God’s plan for our lives. Political events happen, shocking revelations are made, and calamity strikes. But for the Christian whose trust is in the all-knowing God, none of these things really matter.

God has a plan for you, and you can bet your entire existence on the fact that His plan is the perfect one for you–one that promises you that no matter the toil or the pain, there is a place for you in Heaven. As the words of Jeremiah 29:11 go: ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ Our hope and our future lie not in acquiring knowledge on this earth, but in the mansions of heaven.

And despite what happens here on Earth–whether it happens to others or ourselves or whether it’s good or it’s bad–we can say with certainty that there is comfort in knowing that …all things work together for good to those that love God, to those that are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

So don’t worry.

We know that it will all be okay for those who put their trust in the All-Knowing. Rely on Him, and He will direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:6)

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Pastor Ben Libby joins Pastor Sam Rodebaugh to study the Old Testament book of the Prophet Haggai. Haggai had the changeling task of prophesying to the people of Judah who had just come back from the exile in Babylon. He was sent with the job of taking these people to task over their attitude of apathy and […]